Audrii Cunningham Cause of death, THE 11-year-old girl’s body has been located; she disappeared while traveling to a bus stop.
Audrii Cunningham went missing in Livingston, Texas, which is about an hour north of Houston. Her body was found in the Trinity River six days later.
After the river’s water level was lowered, Audrii’s body was found, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
However, The cause of death was not made public right away.
District Attorney Shelly Sitton of Polk County confirmed that Don Steven McDougal, 42, has been charged with capital murder by her office.
“You can assure that the district attorney’s office will be just as dedicated to this case as every one of these law enforcement officers that are standing behind you to do what is right for Audrii and bring justice to our community,” Sitton told reporters.McDougal was detained on Friday on suspicion of an unrelated assault; he had already been identified as a person of interest in Audrii’s disappearance.
After Audrii went missing, McDougal apparently told detectives that he had been to the Trinity River. This detail came from personnel at the Polk County Sheriff’s office.
On Tuesday, Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons stated that McDougal failed to tell sheriff’s officials that the 11-year-old’s body was in the river. According to the police, the 11-year-old was supposed to catch a school bus near her home but didn’t, causing her to miss school that day.
According to investigators, McDougal’s 2003 dark blue Chevrolet Suburban played a role in Audrii’s alleged abduction.
McDougal, who is in an RV behind the house where Audrii lives with her father and other family members, was most likely the last person to see the girl before she vanished, according to Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons.
In the past, the Texas Department of Public Safety stated that they thought foul play was a factor in Audrii’s case.
“We are hopeful that we can bring Audrii home alive and that’s what we are absolutely working for right now,” the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement.
“But based on the evidence we’ve got, we understand that foul play is a factor as well.”
McDougal has a lengthy criminal record dating back to the early 2000s, according to court documents.
In 2008, he was found guilty of two charges of enticing a child and was given a two-year sentence for each charge.
